Title

These pucks are HOT!!!

Problem Scenario

If temperature could effect how far a puck travels, and how much control someone can get over the puck, imagine how much more fun it would be to watch! My goal would be to help make the game easier to play, and the players playing the game will be given a lot more credit over playing the game.

Broad Question

How can I increase the control of my puck?

Specific Question

How does freezing a puck affect the distance a puck travels.

Hypothesis

The frozen puck will travel farther than room temperature pucks.

Graph of Hypothesis

Variables

Independent Variable: how far back the bungee chord goes

Dependent Variable: How far the puck goes

Variables That Need To Be Controlled:

I need to make sure the ice doesn't melt, I need to make sure a puck goes back the same amount every time, I need to make sure i measure correctly.

Vocabulary List That Needs Explanation

Vulcanization: the process of melting, than cooling rubber resulting in a stronger rubber.

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General Plan

Potential Problems And Solutions

During the project, there are quite a few things that could go wrong. I am sending pucks across the ice, so I need to make sure that I send back the puck from the same spot, because otherwise my pucks might have a different distance and my data wouldn't be accurate. Another problem during my project is whether where I am launching is a flat surface. Without a flat surface, the angle will almost definitely be different.

Safety Or Environmental Concerns

Ice is slippery, so I have to make sure not to fall, because I am not going to be able to wear skates, because skates might affect the ice.

Experimental Design

What is your experimental unit?

18 pucks, 9 frozen, nine not, and a tape measure.

Number Of Trials:

There will be One trail per puck.

Number Of Subjects In Each trial:

There are 2 subjects. frozen pucks, and room temperature pucks.

Number of Observations:

1 observation per puck.

When data will be collected

Data will be collected on 2/3.

Where will data be collected?:

Data will be collected at the Ham Arena.

Resources and Budget Table

Item	Number needed	Where I will get this	Cost
pucks	6	home	0$
tape measure	1	home	0$
bungee chord	1	home	0$
camera	1	home	0$
going on the ice	3	ham arena	0$

Detailed Procedure

1. get what you need
2. go on the ice and put down a net where the ice needs to go
3. tie a bungee chord to the net
4. pull back the bungee chord, making sure you pull it back the same amount every time
5. let the chord go and let the puck slide across the ice.
6. take a tape measure, and measure from the point of release, to the ending point.
7. Repeat steps 1-6 for all trials.

Diagram

Photo List

Time Line

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2 minutes to gather supplies. 3 minute to set up lab space. 2/29 is the date I will conduct my experiment. On the same day at home I will analyze my data. One day to write discussion. My poster will last the rest of time, until I write my paper.

Data Table

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Data Analysis

All Raw Data

distance traveled (cm)
frozen pucks room temperature pucks

582 384

495 135.5

181 344

460 372

434 445

419 376

422 418

376 384

394 329

Graphs

Photos

Results

The interdependent variable was effected when the dependent variable was changed. The effect was that cold pucks travel further than room temperature pucks. Although, as more pucks were sent across the ice, the pucks stopped traveling across the ice as far, because the friction was causing the ice to melt, and the water stopped pucks from moving very far.

Conclusion

The graph does support my hypothesis. Cold pucks go further than warm pucks. As soon as the pucks were launched, the ice was melting, and the water on the ice slowed down the pucks.

Discussion

The graph overall showed that cold pucks go further than warm pucks. The first frozen pucks that I sent across the ice went further than the pucks I sent later, because the pucks I had sent earlier had caused the ice to melt with their friction. The pucks still showed that frozen pucks go further than warm pucks. If the experiment could improve, and more time was available, more time would have been taken to make sure that the ice was restored.

Benefit to Community and/or Science

Knowing that cold pucks work better than warm pucks helps the community because knowing that cold pucks work better and are easier to use will help the hockey team if they make sure that their pucks are cold before use.

Background Research

A puck is made with a special kind of rubber called vulcanized rubber. Vulcanization is where rubber is heated up and then cooled again, making sure that the puck doesn't change shape. Vulcanizing causes the elasticity and resistance to improve. In vulcanization, sulfur, peroxide, or bisphenol are added to the rubber. Vulcanized rubber is also used in tires, bowling balls, and some of the mouth pieces in saxophones.
The origin of the word puck is unknown. Some believe that the word originated from puck, a word used in the game of curling, meaning to strike or push the ball. Others believe that the word originates from the word poc, a word of Irish or Gaelic decent, meaning to poke.

References

Abstract

The question that was stated was: how does freezing a puck affect the distance a puck travels? From the question it was hypothesized that the frozen puck will travel farther than room temperature pucks. To start this experiment, get what you need and go on the ice. Then put down a net where the puck needs to go and tie a bungee chord to the net. Pull back the bungee chord, making sure you pull it back the same amount every time. Let the chord go and let the puck slide across the ice. Take a tape measure, and measure from the point of release, to the ending point. Last Repeat steps 1-6 for all trials.During this experiment it was found that the interdependent variable was effected when the dependent variable was changed. The effect was that cold pucks travel further than room temperature pucks. Although, as more pucks were sent across the ice, the pucks stopped traveling across the ice as far, because the friction was causing the ice to melt, and the water stopped pucks from moving very far. It was concluded that the graph does support my hypothesis. Cold pucks go further than warm pucks. As soon as the pucks were launched, the ice was melting, and the water on the ice slowed down the pucks.